Queen Elizabeth knighting Drake, 1581 (colour litho)

Queen Elizabeth knighting Drake, 1581. In voyaging round the world in the "Golden Hind," Sir Francis Drake was the first Englishman to accomplish that feat, and it occupied him just short of three years. Drake had earned an unenviable reputation for the raids that he had made upon the Spanish and Elizabeth hesitated at first to give any recognition to his achievements, but she assented finally and on his arrival at Deptford visited him on board his ship. After a banquet had been served. Elizabeth knighted Drake with sentiments full of approval for what he had done. Illustration for Hutchinson's History of the Nations (Hutchinson, c.1920).